Miami reverses stance on downtown Beckham stadium

Do David Beckham and his financial backers have a Plan C?

In a surprising reversal of his earlier support for a Major League Soccer stadium on a deep-water boat slip at downtown Miami’s Museum Park, Mayor Tomas Regalado told Beckham’s investment group on Tuesday that the slip was no longer an option. Regalado cited the fierce opposition to the proposed stadium from many downtown residents as a major reason why the city is abandoning the idea.

Beckham and his real estate confidant John Alschuler unsuccessfully offered the city $2 million in annual rent for the slip site next to AmericanAirlines Arena.

“They have called, they have come, they have been very active,” Regalado told the Miami Herald. “We listened.

City and county officials still expressed support for a soccer stadium elsewhere in Miami-Dade County.

Alschuler told the Herald the group plans to take a step back and consider its options over the next few months. [Miami Herald] — Eric Kalis